


emotionally yours

by vtforpedro



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Canon Universe, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy Ending, Happy Credence Barebone, M/M, Original Percival Graves is a Softie, Romance, Smut, Softe and Warme, Summer Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:42:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29587413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vtforpedro/pseuds/vtforpedro
Summary: In which a brief, unforgettable summer romance shared between two young lovers lays the foundation for when they find each other once more.
Relationships: Credence Barebone/Original Percival Graves
Comments: 27
Kudos: 45





	emotionally yours

The summer of 1919 was one of Credence’s best.

It was a mere six months after he’d finally escaped the clutches of his mother. He was finished with Ilvermorny and simply hadn’t gone back home but had gone to live with his friend in Upstate New York.

Credence brewed potions in a small shop on a quiet wizarding street and experienced freedom and peace for the first time in his life. He had friends, all who loved him, Upstate and in Manhattan, where some had chosen to start their careers.

Only an owl away.

Once the forests and lakes of Upstate had thawed out and it grew hot and humid outside, going to the lake nearby became a thing Credence and his friends often did. They’d spend the entire weekend there, drinking firewhiskey and sitting around a bonfire, swimming in the water when the sun came up.

The world was in crisis, but they were considered too young to help in the war, and Credence was thankful for that. He was thankful for being separated from Manhattan while a pandemic raged through it and so many no-majs were dying. It was easy to forget all of that, eighteen years old and laughing with friends on the shores of a lake.

Credence hadn’t known at the time that just a few miles away from the small town he lived in was an Auror training camp. His friend explained it to him one night when a group of people set up their own bonfire on the lake, just around the bend from them, not seeming to be much older than they were.

Jon, his friend, told him that Aurors in training spend one month a year out here during their three years of rigorous training to practice fieldwork. There was a vast area of forest that was forbidden to anyone but Aurors and MACUSA officials. No-majs got turned around if they got too close, forgetting they’d left the stove on most often, and Credence was fascinated by it.

He wondered why they were allowed to sit by the lake and drink and stay up late, but Jon had only laughed and said sometimes they earned it after passing some course and earning a certification.

It was hard to stop looking at them, as Credence had never met an Auror in his life and was intimidated by them. He knew a couple people from Ilvermorny who wanted to be Aurors but they were gangly teenagers still and it was hard to find them intimidating. But it didn’t take long before their groups mingled together because they all were between eighteen and twenty, about, and knew or recognized one another.

There were no more House rivalries to worry about anymore and Credence found himself getting along with people he never would have looked twice at during school because he would have been too afraid to make friends outside of his own House.

One of them stood out to him most of all.

He was a year older than Credence, nineteen, and in his second year of training, and Credence remembered him well from Ilvermorny.

It would have been impossible to not know the name Percival Graves.

He’d earned accolades at the school, was considered one of the best students Ilvermorny had seen in fifty years and created the dueling club that’s likely to be in use every year now. Percival Graves had earned a reputation for being incredibly smart, focused, and bound to do great things.

Credence remembers everyone from about fourth year and up sighing dreamily over him when he was in his seventh year and Credence may or may not have been one of them. As he’d insisted everyone call him, Percy was handsome and Credence had thought so for quite a few years, though he never dared to even speak with him.

He was in Pukwudgie and Percy was in Wampus and though they both spent a lot of time in the library, they’d never spoken or even looked at each other really.

To see him again in Upstate New York shocked Credence, but it felt different somehow. As they sat around a large fire and laughed and drank and felt far more grown-up than they ever had in Ilvermorny.

Percy wasn’t the life of the party even then. He spent a lot of his time drinking and looking at the fire, occasionally adding something witty to the conversation but not otherwise engaging all that much in the rowdiness of it.

Neither did Credence, not when the group got larger and he got shier. But Credence was interested in Percy, he _allowed_ himself to be, and occasionally he would see Percy glance across the fire and look straight at him. It hadn’t taken long after that before Credence had decided to take the plunge because he’d been living in hell for so long that approaching a man hadn’t seemed quite so terrifying.

He sat next to Percy and Percy shared his bottle of firewhiskey with him and that first night they’d talked for hours. Quietly between themselves, ignoring the teasing of their friends who eventually drank too much to remember to tease. Percy drank a lot, Credence had noticed, but he never seemed affected by it. He’d use his wand now and then to stop someone trying to get near the water who could barely stand on their feet.

The next night had gone the same way at first. Talking about anything and everything, getting to know each other, becoming friends and as it was so easy for any of them to do that summer on the lake, becoming more.

Percy kissed him and Credence kissed back. They swam in the lake while the radio played; their friends laughed and talked loudly enough for their voices to echo across the water and through the trees.

They shared an intimacy that night that Credence never experienced before and it was better than Credence imagined it could be. But Percy and the others had to go back to training after that, though they promised they’d be back in two weeks.

Credence didn’t think he’d see Percy again but he still enjoyed himself every weekend and some days in between. It was freedom, complete freedom, with joy and good conversations and close friendships that Credence hoped would never end.

Percy and the other Aurors in training did come back. They’d spend two nights on the lake and go back to Manhattan after and not return for a year, but it was enough to even see Percy again.

They walked around the lake, far away from prying eyes, and made love under the clear night sky with moonlight on their skin and the sound of water lapping at the shores.

It was Credence’s first time and clearly not Percy’s, but that only made it better each time it happened that night, and when the sun was rising, violet and golds bursting above the trees and shining in Percy’s dark hair.

Credence never wanted it to be over. He wanted to spend every night by the lake doing precisely that with Percy, in between their endless conversations and laughter.

But Percy left, as did the other Aurors, with one last, lingering kiss and a promise.

_I’ll see you next summer_

They didn’t write to each other or see each other at all for the rest of the year and into the new year. The intimacy they shared, spoken and by touch, was only on the lake, and Credence understood that even if he might have wanted different.

Midway through spring, Credence was offered a job in New Haven. It was a large potions brewery specializing in rarer potions, an upscale store in an upscale shopping district. Credence initially wanted to turn it down because he didn’t know anything about New Haven, he didn’t know anybody that lived there, and he didn’t want to leave his friends.

Jon convinced him to take a look, at least, and Credence had.

And he’d fallen in love. With Connecticut, with the small but rapidly expanding town, with the people. Even the people in an expensive shopping district were mostly more pleasant than anyone he’d ever come across in Lower Manhattan. But he did have a bad reputation there, as long as he was _Mary Lou’s son._

Credence took another leap and moved to New Haven and started a new chapter in his life. It hadn’t occurred to him until he moved into a small apartment that he would no longer be just a couple miles away from the lake, from bonfires and drinking with friends.

From Percy.

He suspected that Percy would fare just fine without him. Their romance belonged on the lake, not anywhere else, and there were plenty of other people to pick from.

Over the next few months, Jon wrote to him and visited him and told him their friend group was trickling down to just them again, as everyone started their careers and moved on. Just like Credence had.

Jon and Credence will be friends for the rest of their lives, but the days of being eighteen and not caring about anything were gone.

If the Aurors visited the lake during the summer, Credence never knew. He thought about going, about seeing if anyone was there, but his hours were long and often throughout the evenings and nights. On the rare occasions he had a weekend off, he was too scared to see a dark lifeless lake with no merriment and talked himself out of it.

And time, as it is wont to do, kept moving forward.

Summer ended and autumn began and Credence decided he would remember his summer fling with Percy Graves fondly. He moved on with his life then, with his own budding career, with new friendships and the occasional romance over the years.

He stayed in New Haven until he was twenty-six.

It was a break-up with a man he thought he loved that motivated him to leave. Credence realized he missed skyscrapers and had for a long time, that he was less fond of the small town and sometimes small-minded people who lived in it.

He stayed, hadn’t even thought of leaving, because of the man he loved. But Credence realized one morning that he wasn’t happy anymore, that he was merely going through the motions, and there was no excitement in his life. He had loved his partner but a chasm had slowly widened between them and before either of them knew it, they were different people.

Older, wiser, and less fond of each other.

Credence left and it wasn’t so hard to do. There was hardly any bitterness, just an acknowledgment that they weren’t made for each other like they thought they were at the beginning.

It was harder to step back into Manhattan and even then that had eased quickly.

The skyscrapers, the smells, the people, the _noise,_ all of it was a balm to Credence’s soul he hadn’t realized he’d been missing. He’d convinced himself he was never going to see - or need - the city ever again, but he grew up here, grew up on the streets of Lower Manhattan, and wandered the rest of it.

It was hardly changed beyond being more prosperous and healthy.

Credence had enough Dragots to get a small place for himself and enough experience, along with glowing letters of recommendation, that he felt comfortable applying to MACUSA for a potion brewing position.

It was a stringent interview process, frighteningly so, but Credence connected with old friends and they helped him get through it. They got along as well as they always had and he knew he wasn’t alone in Manhattan, the way he had been for so long before.

Credence was hired to work at a specialty brewery making Wolfsbane potion for the werewolf population required by law to take it and training under people who experimented with curing lycanthropy. It was absolutely fascinating work and though Credence would be in training for a couple of years, he thrived during it.

Brewing always came easy to him and it continued to do so. He impressed his various bosses and once he was out of training by twenty-eight, he found himself working solely with experimentation. 

It’s dangerous. It’s intriguing and fulfilling, even if there’s no progress for months at a time.

Not to mention that it pays well and he gets the benefits MACUSA offers, which is a lot more than can be said for many wizards in New York.

Credence considers himself fortunate and another year flies by before he knows it.

He turns twenty-nine in November. In January, when the holidays are over, his boss sends him and various coworkers to MACUSA’s headquarters in the Woolworth Building for a three-week-long course and conference with the best of the best in potions brewing from around the world. They’ll be learning new things, sharing ideas, comparing notes, and Credence is only glad he gets to go home to his own bed every night.

The first day that Credence steps into Woolworth, and the first time in a few years, he is highly aware that there’s a change of leadership beginning.

The Director of Magical Security is retiring in three months and his successor has already been named.

Percival Graves.

Credence knew Percy would make an excellent Auror, it’s in his blood, and he’s seen his name and picture increasingly over the last few years in the newspaper. It was strange the first time reading his name, even stranger to see his picture and see anything but a nineteen-year-old.

Percy will be thirty years old a few weeks before he’s set to take the Director’s seat, the youngest in history, which is of no surprise to anyone that knows him.

But Credence knew him for only a few days. He’d known him in a way he hadn’t known anyone since, when there were no walls to guard, when they talked freely about everything. The lake was an entirely different world where Credence learned about Percy’s life and Percy learned about his.

There was a freedom there, freedom to be themselves, with their hearts and vulnerability worn on their sleeves. To give to each other like they’d known each other for years already, to make love like they were simply meant to, and Credence doesn’t know if it’s nostalgia or that Percy was his first, but he thinks he’s yet to have better.

Sometimes Credence thinks it was a fever dream, as dreamy as it is when he remembers it, a particular feeling and longing and happiness he doesn’t experience when recalling any other good times he’s had.

It’s odd to know Percy is so far removed from him now. He’s going to be the Director of Magical Security, the Head Auror of all Aurors in America, and he looks the part. No longer a teenager but a grown man who is lethal in his work, who has strived to get to the very top and made it there faster than anyone else ever has.

His list of accomplishments and awards and his various titles seem to stretch on forever when they’re listed in the newspaper. Credence feels a sense of gladness for him, for succeeding as he has despite what his own parents did to him, but he feels strange even for that.

They never truly knew each other. Percy probably hardly remembers Credence, might not even remember his name, for Merlin’s sake, and Credence wouldn’t blame him for it.

All the same, it’s still bizarre to walk into MACUSA and go to the third floor, knowing Percy is only two floors above him, _Captain Graves,_ leading his team of Aurors and being prepared by Director Wolfs to take over the department.

Credence wonders if Percy would recognize him if they were to ever come across each other.

He’ll always be fond of the summer of 1919, but as he sits in a large lecture room in MACUSA, Credence thinks he could do without the memories for the next few weeks.

It’s an entirely different world - the real one, not a summer fantasy - and Credence hopes they _don’t_ ever come across each other.

Meeting his various colleagues from around the world keeps his mind off things and listening to a two-hour-long lecture followed by numerous short statements about what they’ll be learning from many people over the next few weeks promises to keep him occupied.

It’s a long day but lunch is good, catering from a restaurant nearby, and they’re all given a hard copy of a book that has yet to be released by one of their colleagues before they’re dismissed.

Many of them stick around for a while, mingling and chatting, and Credence meets some truly inspirational people. Various witches and wizards who have written books he’s studied or who have led research into lycanthropy that he uses the knowledge of every day in his work.

This will be a yearly conference for Credence now and he thinks he’s lucky to be a part of this too.

He takes the lift down to the lobby with a couple of his coworkers, chatting about the people they’ve met and what they’ll be learning in the course.

“Think this will be the year we crack the case?” Maisie asks, her curly red hair even wilder than it usually is after an exciting day.

“We’ve only been trying to cure it since the Roman Empire took shape, but sure, this’ll be the year,” Irwin says dryly and pushes his glasses up his nose.

Maisie rolls her eyes. “We already had one breakthrough and that was just last year!”

“Wolfsbane taking effect roughly twenty seconds earlier isn’t exactly a huge breakthrough.”

Credence smiles when Maisie sighs. “Maybe a little optimism might help us along,” he says. “Just believing in something helps now and then.”

“See? Be like Credence,” Maisie says. _“Believe.”_

“Oh, sure, sure,” Irwin says. “I’ll just _believe_ my next brew will be the cure of a thousands-year-old disease. We’ll be set then. I’ll be sure to credit you two with exactly the right bolstering.”

“Merlin, I forgot how moody you are when you haven’t had dinner yet,” Maisie says. “Just like a baby.”

Credence shakes his head as they walk to the information desk to deposit their visitor badges, their own official badges for the conference delayed by a day. He listens to them bicker as he waits to sign out and thinks about dinner himself. He thinks he’ll pick up some cheesecake on his way home to celebrate the first day.

“Oh, look, there’s our soon-to-be Director that no one in my family will stop talking about,” Irwin says sourly as he looks toward the long staircase made of dark stone leading to the second floor.

“Why don’t they stop talking about him?” Maisie asks as Credence’s stomach churns and he breaks out into a cold sweat.

He doesn’t want to, _Merlin_ he doesn’t, but he glances up at the stairs and Credence feels his heart seize. 

Percy is there, standing at the top of the stairs, away from traffic, dressed in a fine black suit and speaking with another man. It seems to be a serious conversation as Credence can see Percy’s frown even from here.

“Because my family entirely consists of women. My mother, my aunt, my _six_ sisters, my niece who is barely eleven,” Irwin says as he counts them on his fingers. “And whose face is in the newspaper every damn day? The most handsome man in the entire world, according to them.”

Credence blushes and quickly looks away from Percy. “Stop staring at him,” he mutters as he quickly signs out. “Let’s go.”

“I mean, he’s definitely handsome. Not my type, but handsome,” Maisie says and hums thoughtfully. “I wonder how he’ll handle everything being so young.”

“Guys, come on,” Credence says and tugs on Maisie’s sleeve.

“Alright, alright,” Maisie laughs and loops her arm around Credence’s. “No more staring.”

“I could take him,” Irwin says, still staring, and grins when Maisie laughs and Credence groans. “Hey, I got my HARE in Defense.”

Credence tugs them along. “Because you would have died on the spot if you got anything less,” he says. “You’re half his size.”

“That means I’m fast.”

“You’re blind without your glasses,” Maisie says.

“Then I have the element of being completely unpredictable.”

Credence sighs as they giggle. He feels like an idiot and curses himself, but he can’t help but look back one more time.

Percy is still on the stairs and speaking with the other man. Credence feels that sense of nostalgia and comfort only those nights Upstate gives him and looks away again.

Credence feels the peculiar sensation of being watched, but he brushes that aside, knowing that’s only in his mind. They step out of Woolworth and into a cold January evening.

MACUSA is filled with hundreds upon hundreds of people. Credence will likely never get another glimpse of Percy, not unless he’s in the newspaper and tries to tell himself that’s the way he wants it to be.

He does get a slice of cheesecake before heading home. If he sits on his sofa while he slowly works through it and remembers how it felt making love on the shores of the lake, moonlight shining on heated skin and Percy’s dark eyes looking into his, Credence’s name falling from his lips, well, surely no one could blame him for it.

——

The next few days go by quickly.

There’s a lot of note-taking and reading through chapters of their new book, which explores all the current research being done for many diseases. One of the most informative chapters discusses their success with finding a cure for dragon pox, which only happened fifteen years ago.

It can still be deadly to those that wait too long to take the three potions needed and MACUSA alerts people when there’s an outbreak nearby, but the fact that they can cure it at all now is a giant stride for the wizarding world.

One of Credence’s friends who works here herself lost both her parents to dragon pox when she was young, but she’s only expressed relief that others don’t have to lose their loved ones anymore.

He has lunch with her on Wednesday and Credence may blabber on about what he’s learning but Queenie never stops him, only smiles and laughs when he jokes about something.

“You’re doin’ good work, honey,” she says. “You’re gonna be behind a lot of advances in cures.”

Credence shrugs. “Well, I don’t know about that,” he mumbles, but he’s smiling. “But it’s good to be a part of trying, anyway.”

“You’re so damn smart and gifted in what you do and you know it,” Queenie says and sips tea. “You want to go out this weekend? Teenie’s got it off finally and you _still_ haven’t met her.”

Credence smiles.

Queenie is six years younger than him but they’d met last year at a bar and hit it off while Credence had a few drinks in him and wasn’t so nervous anymore. They may be separated in age but he gets along with her better than he has with someone in a long while.

Her sister, Tina, is a junior Auror a couple years out of training, as she waited to join the Auror program until Queenie left Ilvermorny. She’s on Percy’s team and when Credence had learned that, he’d promptly become panicked and Queenie knew all of his secrets within about thirty seconds, but he’s over it. But he’s been putting off meeting her because, well, she works with Percy every day and Credence is afraid it’ll be too bizarre to hear her talk about him.

Queenie has promised that Tina avoids talking about Percy as much as she can - except when she can’t help but complain - because he drives her up the wall. Queenie said the feeling was mutual but that Percy’s fond of Tina either way, which somehow only made it worse for Credence.

He doesn’t know how he could meet Tina and think of anything but Percy, but Tina wants to meet him too and Queenie promises they’ll get along. Still, it makes his palms sweaty as he thinks about it.

“Maybe,” Credence says because it’s rightly ambiguous. He thinks he’ll need the weekend to recover from his first long week of a bombardment of information.

“Could help you relax and loosen your shoulders to go out, honey,” Queenie says with an amused smile.

“Stop reading my mind,” Credence chides, but he knows she can’t help it. He sighs when she smiles widely, dimpled and sweet, which stopped working on him when he realized it’s not always sweet and used to get her way more often. “I don’t know. Give me a couple days to see how I feel at the end of the week.”

Queenie sighs and nods. “Sure, honey,” she says and smiles. “I’m going to have her meet us for lunch one day, you know. If I can get her away from her desk.”

“Junior Aurors have a lot of work to do,” Credence says and takes a drink of pomegranate juice. He glances at his watch and sighs. “I better get back up there. Thanks for having lunch with me.”

“Course,” Queenie says. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe we can go shopping after work on Friday, huh?”

“For what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Something nice for you to wear when we go out.”

Credence scoffs. “My clothes are just fine for going out.”

“I mean something a little more eye-catching than you usually wear.”

“Probably because I don’t want to catch any eyes,” Credence says and shakes his head when she giggles, smiling helplessly. “Let me get through this course before I start thinking about romance.”

“You’ve been telling me to let you get through the month or week for an entire year.”

“See? Maybe I don’t want to take anyone home.”

Queenie raises her eyebrows. “Just crazy how all your thoughts are always the exact opposite.”

Credence grumbles and stands up. “No more pushing,” he says and smiles when she holds up her hands in surrender. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, honey.”

The tray and glass follow Credence as he leaves the cafeteria and deposit themselves onto a counter as he passes it. He walks down to the hallway to the lifts and as he does, he sees two of them stop and when the gates open, two groups of people step out.

Many people in MACUSA dress nicely for their jobs if it requires it but Aurors are meant to be formal unless they’re doing stealth work and Credence recognizes them immediately.

They’re off to get lunch, most likely, and Credence nearly stumbles over his feet as he sees Percy. Of course he sees Percy because he is chronically unlucky in these matters and he’d turn right back around if he hadn’t already gotten so far down the hallway and it wouldn’t bring attention to himself.

Percy is in the front of the group and he’s speaking with an Auror at his side who is half a head taller than him and broader. It might seem like he’s the more intimidating one, but he’s not. Percy is a grown man and he looks it, his jaw sharp and his hair cut to the latest fashion, and his eyes are harder with the way of the world that he sees. He’s always had a professional look about him, even in Ilvermorny, sitting at the bonfire before Credence approached him. His pictures in the paper.

But Percy looks like an Auror now, far more severe, confidence in his gait and the way he holds himself. Credence wonders if he’s as sarcastic and witty as he used to be, as kind and soft with people he’s closer to as he was with Credence.

Credence’s heart is racing and he feels faint. He tries to keep his head down, tries not to look when they pass each other, but he can’t help it. It’s hard to look away from Percy now that he’s right there.

And Percy looks at Credence. He doesn’t stop or slow down but he looks directly at Credence and there’s no mistaking the fact that he recognizes Credence perfectly well.

That something softens in his eyes.

But he’s gone quickly and Credence hurries to the stairs rather than the lift because his heart is hammering away and it feels like he has adrenaline in his veins.

Credence gasps a little when he takes the stairs and is alone. It was only a few seconds and yet there’d been something startingly intense about seeing Percy and feeling his eyes on Credence’s again. He stops to take in a few breaths and curses himself for being silly.

They never really knew each other, as much as his eighteen-year-old mind thought they did. But Percy still recognized him and that’s more than Credence had been expecting.

He hurries up to the next floor and to the lecture hall. He’s not late, but just barely, and takes his seat next to Maisie.

“Are you alright?” she asks him with concern.

Credence blushes and coughs a little. “Yeah,” he says. “Thought I was gonna be late.”

“Did you run up here?” Maisie asks with a laugh. “We’re not in school anymore. You wouldn’t have lost us any House points.”

“I don’t like being late,” Credence says with all the tartness he can manage because it gets her to laugh and look away.

He buries his face in his hands when she does.

——

Queenie doesn’t have to expend much energy to know precisely what Credence went through the next day because he can’t stop thinking about it.

He accepts his fate but she doesn’t tease him, only pats his hand and tells him to come out with them on the weekend. Credence agrees, thinking he probably needs a couple of drinks with friends, and he does want to meet Tina.

Credence doesn’t see Percy for the rest of the week and isn’t sure if he’s relieved to not go through it again or if he wants to see Percy look at him the same way. But he thinks that Percy would talk to him if he wasn’t surrounded by people, and Credence might die if that happens, so he counts himself lucky for now.

He doesn’t go shopping with Queenie because he really doesn’t want anyone to find him attractive, Merlin forbid, but they go out on Saturday night.

The bar is lovely, with dark hardwood floors and soft lighting, filled with tables and booths. There’s a piano on a raised platform and a witch is crooning a soulful song. Credence has never been here; it’s a little more formal than he usually would care for, but he’s glad to be somewhere new. He’s glad to meet Tina too and it only takes a few minutes before he’s as relaxed with her as he is with Queenie.

She’s got an acerbic wit and is funny while also being sweet and Credence thinks with some dread that Percy is much the same way, which is probably why they drive each other up the wall.

“That’s exactly right,” Queenie snickers and refuses to say when Tina asks her what she means.

They drink a few cocktails and listen to the witch sing song after song, all beautiful and perfect for this setting. The bar food they eat is fancier than any other bar Credence has been to but he enjoys it. He enjoys himself all around and tells Queenie she was right, as she always is.

He knows a couple of people here too, his more adventurous coworkers from the brewery - of which there are very few - and they come to the booth now and then to chat.

It’s a good time and Credence remembers he’s not as old as he feels sometimes and should probably get out more.

When Credence is finishing his third cocktail and feeling pretty good with himself, relaxed and content, it's of course when it all goes to pot.

“Oh, fuck,” Credence mutters and slouches in the booth they’re in. It’s in the corner and not entirely visible to the rest of the bar, but he can see the door from where he’s at and he would cry.

He _could_ cry to see that Percy is here and why shouldn’t he be? Credence is unlucky, yet he’s also not surprised because this seems like the type of bar Percy would come to rather than the homier ones.

“What is it? Are you okay?” Tina asks as he slouches further.

Queenie laughs. “Oh, he’s just fine. Your boss walked in, is all.”

Credence groans when Tina looks at the door, but she curses under her breath herself and Credence feels a kinship with her because of it.

“It’s okay; he can’t see us from here. He’s going to sit at the bar with Mister Fontaine,” Tina says, half leaning out of the booth before she sits straight. She frowns then and looks at Credence. “Why the heck are you worried about my boss?”

Credence grimaces and looks at Queenie, who shrugs.

“Your business is your business, honey.”

“Thank you,” Credence mutters and finishes his drink with a sigh. He might have preferred Queenie told her sister about this, though. He looks at Tina and shrugs helplessly when she raises her eyebrows. “Percy and I met once.”

“A few times,” Queenie says with a grin and Credence groans again.

“It was just… it was a quick thing,” Credence says and sighs when Tina gapes at him with some horror. “It was eleven years ago! I was only eighteen and we haven’t seen each other since. I lived just a few miles away from where you do your fieldwork training. We went to the lake not far from it all summer and Aurors came too.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Tina says and waves her hands. “We still do that, you know. Sit around bonfires and drink way too much. You met Captain Graves there?”

“He was in his second year of training,” Credence says. “We hit it off. A few times,” he adds dryly and Queenie giggles. “That’s all it was.”

“Oh, Merlin,” Tina says and looks a little green. “Now how am I supposed to think about those days without thinking about that happening there?”

Credence giggles, unable to help it. “Yeah, well,” he says, “how am I supposed to see Percy in MACUSA and not think about it? Do you know how strange that is?”

“Is this why you kept making excuses to not meet me?” Tina asks with amusement. “Cause he’s my boss?”

“It’s strange!” Credence says and sighs when they laugh.

“What was he like when he was nineteen?” Tina asks.

“Oh, Teenie, you know that man has been forty since the minute he was born,” Queenie says with a grin.

Credence nods in agreement. “Probably true. I don’t know him now but he was a year ahead of me in Ilvermorny. He was serious then and not exactly very… un-serious at the lake until we talked. Among other things.”

“Oh, Merlin, please never bring up those other things again,” Tina says and waves her hands. “You’re right. It is strange. Hard to imagine he was ever human and not a workaholic machine.”

“He’s not… you know?” Credence asks and hates himself a little for it. “Married or anything?”

“He’s not,” Tina says. “If he’s seeing someone, none of us know about it. Hard to believe he could ever be charming.”

Credence wishes he had another drink. “He can be plenty charming,” he says and smiles when Tina shudders. “What’s _your_ type?”

“Someone soft and nice to me. Sweet,” Tina says. “I’ll never find that in the Auror department, thank Merlin.”

“He’s gotta be awkward too, to match Teenie’s awkward,” Queenie says with a laugh. “There aren’t a whole lot of awkward Aurors, see,” she says to Credence. “They’re too arrogant for it.”

Credence smiles at Tina. “Which is probably why you’re such a good Auror, you know.”

“Hey, I can be arrogant,” Tina says. “At work, at least. Thank you, though,” she adds, her cheeks pink. “Can we talk about something else? I gotta erase this conversation from my memory.”

Queenie giggles. “I’ll get us another round, huh?”

“Last one,” Credence says. “Or I won’t be able to Apparate home.”

They watch her flutter her hand and go to the bar to order drinks. Credence is still slouched so he can’t see over the top of the booth and probably stare at the back of Percy’s head for the rest of the night.

“So you don’t have any interest in talking to him?” Tina asks hesitantly.

Credence supposes curiosity usually wins out. “Not really,” he says, his cheeks warm. “It was a long time ago and just a couple nights. We’re both different people now. A lot different talking to an Auror in training versus the Director of Magical Security in training.”

Tina huffs a laugh. “Director Wolfs is just telling him all of MACUSA’s secrets. He’s been prepared for the job since he was eighteen, I’m sure,” she says. “He’s going to be even more insufferable soon.”

“Is he really all that bad?”

“Well,” Tina sighs, “no. He just drives me crazy. He’s such an ass sometimes. But I know I’m not the most… well, I’m not a gold star employee, anyway. But sometimes you have to do what your instincts tell you, you know? It’s not my fault if he disagrees.”

Credence laughs. “Unless following your instincts breaks all the rules.”

Tina waves her hand dismissively. “He’s only chained me to my desk a couple times. Accused me of being the reason he has a migraine every time he goes home, but he’s just dramatic. I think he mentioned the few greys he’s noticed are my fault too. Probably all of his juniors combined if I’m honest.”

Credence smiles, far more warmly than he should, looking down at his empty glass as he turns it in circles. None of what she’s saying is doing anything to make him think any less of Percy.

The opposite, really, and Tina groans like she knows it.

“Conversation over,” she declares when Queenie comes back with two drinks in her hands and another one bobbing along through the air behind her.

They don’t talk about Percy anymore but Credence finds it hard to keep up with their conversations. Not just because of thinking about Percy, which he very much is, but because he’s also a fair amount tipsy.

It starts making him tired by the time he finishes his fourth drink and decides to call it a night. Credence pays the tab because he feels guilty for putting off meeting Tina when she’s just as wonderful as Queenie and for stupid reasons besides. And because he’s happy to have friends who are genuine and kind people too. Queenie’s helped him not worry so much about things and she’s definitely one of the reasons he’s been able to experience more of New York than he’d ever dare to himself.

They leave the warm bar and Credence forces himself to not look back. It’s not hard to, as the room spins if he looks any way but straight, and they get outside.

It’s snowing and the cold sobers him up a bit. He’s never done well in the cold despite living in snowy winters all his life.

Tina hugs Credence and tells him they need to do this more often and he happily agrees. She leaves after because it’s hard to do Side-Along when you’ve been drinking. Credence and Queenie hug after that and if it’s a long one, well, Credence needs it.

“It’ll be okay, honey,” Queenie says as she rubs his back. “Just keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be alright. You’ll be outta Woolworth before you know it too.”

Credence isn’t entirely sure that makes him feel better, but he blames it on the alcohol. “I hope so,” he mutters and squeezes Queenie a little tighter.

The door to the bar opens and Credence thinks he could have guessed who he’d see walking out of it. His heart pounds because Percy looks at him and Queenie. He’s still dressed well, a handsome black suit and a scarf hanging loosely around his neck.

“Oh, hi, honey,” Queenie says cheerfully. She pats Credence’s cheek when they let go of each other. “Where’s that fancy coat of yours?”

“Good evening, Miss Goldstein,” Percy says dryly, so achingly familiar to Credence that it makes his heart hurt. “It’s safe and sound.” He looks at Credence. “Mister Barebone.”

It takes Credence by surprise to not hear _Credence_ the way he’d like to, but their circumstances are wildly different and he’s very tipsy anyway. Percy’s voice is so nice, no more _teenager_ in it, but rather _professional thirty-year-old man._

“Hi,” Credence manages to say breathlessly and frowns. “Do you two know each other?”

“Percy had to interview me before I could work in the WPO,” Queenie says and shrugs when Credence gapes at her. “Guess I’m not an average girl, huh?” She winks at Percy.

“That is one thing you’re not,” Percy says with a faint smirk. He looks at Credence and shakes his head. “She’s lucky she’s trustworthy.”

“Lucky that you’re the one that had to go digging in my mind,” Queenie says tartly. “No one else would’ve been good enough to.” She looks at Credence with a dimpled smile. “I’ll see you soon, honey.”

“Okay,” Credence croaks. “Be safe.”

“Always,” Queenie says. “Night night, you two.” She flutters her hand and after a quick glance around, she’s gone with a _crack._

Credence is very tempted to follow her but that might be considered rude. Still, it’s with a certain amount of dread that he looks at Percy, who is gazing at him, entirely unreadable.

“You’re in MACUSA for the conference?” Percy asks as he moves closer.

“Yeah,” Credence says and stuffs his hands in his pockets because they’re shaking from his nerves and the cold. “I only live a few miles away, though, so it’s not a big jump.”

Percy smiles, just a bit. “When did you move back to Manhattan?”

“About three years ago,” Credence says. “I realized I missed it and it was the right time. I got work at the offshoot in Uptown.”

“What’s your focus?”

“Lycanthropy experimentation,” Credence says and his cheeks feel hot when Percy looks impressed. “It’s interesting. I’ve been talking to a lot of people over the last week who influence my work.”

“Must be a hell of a thing then,” Percy says. “It’s good to see you again. You look well, Credence.”

Credence feels faint. “Oh,” he says, goosebumps on his arms, hearing his name like that. “Thank you. You do too. You’ve got a lot done in the last decade.” He smiles when Percy chuckles. “You said you’d be here by the time you were thirty.”

“Always knew it,” Percy says. “Though I do believe you told me I’d have a hard time if everyone else was as arrogant as me.”

“Oh, Merlin,” Credence says. “I did not,” he says, a blatant lie and laughs when Percy does. “Tina did tell me you’re still arrogant.” He starts a little. “Don’t tell her I said so. I just met her tonight.”

Percy looks amused. “She’s looked me in the eye and said the same thing. Not so surprising,” he says and shakes his head. “She’s lucky I like her. How’d you meet Queenie?”

“In a different bar,” Credence says with a smile. “We got along really well from the start. She’s my best friend.”

“You two aren’t together?"

Credence blushes. “Merlin, no,” he says and feels his fingertips tingle. “I… I only go the one way.”

He’s promptly horrified that has come out of his mouth and even more so when Percy laughs with such genuine amusement that it sounds fond.

“I thought so, but we didn’t talk much about it,” Percy says with a smile. He steps closer to Credence and pulls off the scarf he’s wearing, black and grey and white, and Credence’s breath hitches, just a little, when Percy moves it around his neck. “You’re freezing.”

Credence is freezing and he supposes his shivering is noticeable, though it’s not all due to the cold. “Thank you,” he says somewhat breathlessly. He can smell Percy’s cologne, something heady and a little more intoxicating than the cocktails had been. “You don’t look cold at all.”

“Used to places a lot colder than this,” Percy says with a faint smile. “Go home and get warm.”

He remembers that Percy did grow up in a place that gets a lot more snow than Manhattan does. Credence nods, biting his lip, and finds himself disappointed without knowing why.

“It’s nice to see you, Percy,” he says. “I suppose I’ll see you around MACUSA?”

Percy smiles and the way he’s looking at Credence dashes away the disappointment and leaves his blood boiling instead. “If you’d like, we can grab lunch together. Maybe outside of MACUSA, if you’ve got the time.”

“Oh,” Credence breathes and nods. “Yeah, I have an hour every day. Do _you_ have the time?”

“For you, yes,” Percy says and touches Credence’s elbow. “Go warm your bones, Credence. Can you get home okay?”

Credence wants to tell him he definitely cannot, but it’s too soon and he thinks it’d sound too desperate. He nods instead.

“Mhmm,” he hums. “I’m okay. Thank you. Good night, Percy.”

“Good night, Credence,” Percy says with a smile. He tightens the scarf before he’s off, back into the bar.

Credence feels out of breath. He gulps in some cold air to try and clear his head so he can Apparate home without leaving it behind. It takes a few minutes but eventually he feels confident and makes it home well enough.

He goes inside and flicks his wand to turn on the heat before he wanders into his bathroom. Credence looks at himself in the mirror, pale with red cheeks, Percy’s scarf tucked neatly around his neck. He knows it’s silly but he’s reluctant to take it off when he does to take a hot shower.

Warm his bones.

Credence gets into bed after and thinks of Percy’s smile, of the way he says Credence’s name before he’s fast asleep.

——

After recovering and grocery shopping and spending the rest of his Sunday tending to the various plants he owns, Credence prepares for the second week of the course and conference.

And trying not to feel vaguely panicked at every moment thinking about Percy. They hadn’t said when they’d go to lunch exactly and Credence thinks that Percy’s schedule will determine that. Still, it makes Credence nervous, constant butterflies in his stomach the entire first half of his Monday.

It’s hard to force himself to pay attention to the lecture and read from his book, but he forces himself to because this is his job, his career, and Credence has worked hard for it. He wouldn’t mind making a few breakthroughs now and then and he must be up to date on the latest theories and research.

When the clock strikes noon and they’re told to go to lunch, Credence packs away his notes and tries not to jump out of his skin when a rat memo scurries up onto the table in front of him.

“Merlin,” Credence mumbles, his heart racing, and waits until no one is behind him before he grabs it. It falls flat when he touches it and Credence reads the short note.

_Meet me in the lobby if you can. Send the memo back if you can’t._

_PG_

Credence’s hands are already shaking but he folds the note and puts it in his pocket. His heart feels like it’s skipping and he is excited, very much so, but he’s also fearful he’s going to fuck this up.

He doesn’t know how, but he’s sure he will. Everything is so different now, no matter how good it felt to talk to Percy a couple days ago, no matter how Percy looked at Credence the same way he did when they first met.

They have to get to know each other if that’s what Percy wants and Credence finds himself concerned that maybe that’s not what Percy wants. He could want what they had back then, something quick and straightforward and forgotten shortly after, and the thought makes Credence feel a bit queasy.

He leaves the lecture hall and takes the lift down to the lobby, worried and thrilled both. Credence tried to tell himself he’d be glad if they never came across each other but now that they have he certainly wants more than another fling. They could end lunch feeling entirely different about each other for all he knows and Credence doesn’t think he’d recover from that for a while.

Queenie’s right. It’s been a long time since he’s been in a relationship and he does want one. Percy may tell him he wants something different today but Credence is still eager to see him. Eager to see if a spark is still there and maybe, just maybe, that Percy is looking for the same thing.

Credence is wearing Percy’s scarf and he will never tell another living soul that he’s barely stopped touching it or smelling the cologne on it for two days. But Percy might have only given it to him to borrow and so he’s wearing it.

Walking out of the lift and into the lobby takes a lot of courage. Percy isn’t hard to spot, leaning against the wall between the revolving doors and the information desk. Credence’s mouth goes dry as he walks toward him.

Percy is in a long black coat and he’s got a different scarf hanging loosely around his neck today. It’s dark purple and white and maroon and Credence doesn’t know why, but it makes Percy even more attractive. Credence knows how soft and expensive the material is and it doesn’t surprise him that Percy seems to dress as well as he can.

When Percy sees Credence, he smiles, and Credence doesn’t miss that he looks pleased he’s still wearing his scarf.

“Good afternoon, Mister Barebone,” Percy says as he meets Credence near the doors.

“Good afternoon, Captain Graves,” Credence says with a smile. It doesn’t seem like Percy can quite resist adjusting the scarf and Credence is sure he’s blushing, but he grins. “Do you want it back?”

“Absolutely not,” Percy says. “Fits you just right.” He smiles and gestures. “Lunch?”

“Yes, please,” Credence says.

They walk out of Woolworth and it’s still snowing, a little heavier than on Saturday, but it’s not as cold. They both only have an hour for lunch - though Credence suspects Percy could afford a longer one - and decide to go to a deli not far away.

Credence has been there many times considering he grew up ten minutes away from Woolworth. It’s odd to see it again but he’s with Percy and thinks he’d feel differently if he wasn’t. They have excellent homemade chicken noodle soup and hot turkey sandwiches, which are just as good as Credence remembers.

He notices a few people glance at Percy but Credence supposes that’s to be expected and will happen all the time in just a few months. Percy doesn’t seem to notice, so he must be used to it, but Credence does see he chose a table with a good vantage point.

Probably something that he does wherever he goes and Credence doesn’t really blame him.

He’s a little worried that it’s going to take some effort to not be awkward, but Percy asks how his last decade has been and it makes Credence laugh.

It’s easy after that. As easy as it was the first time they talked. They talk more about work than Ilvermorny and navigating their twenties. Percy isn’t seeing anyone and hasn’t for a while, he says, and Credence is happy to tell him it’s been the same for him.

Time flies by and Percy is paying the bill before Credence knows it. He’d rather spend hours with Percy and hopes he gets to.

“It feels like just yesterday or a lifetime ago depending on the day,” Credence says when Percy mentions the summer as they’re bundling up.

“It does,” Percy chuckles. “Bit less worry back then. I was disappointed, you know.”

“With what?” Credence asks.

“You weren’t there the next summer,” Percy says with a smile. “None of you were.”

Credence bites his lip and nods. “I got offered the job in New Haven that spring,” he says. “My friend Jon told me most of us had moved out of that town by the summer like I did.”

They leave the deli and walk outside and Credence looks up at the light grey skies before he looks at Percy.

“I thought about going but I didn’t know when you might be there and I worked nights. I didn’t want to go and see no one there,” Credence continues. “I did want to see you, though. I was disappointed too, that I didn’t get to.”

Percy smiles as he gazes at Credence. “It was different for us too — more serious that time around. Still, I would’ve liked to see you,” he says. “That was the most memorable summer I’ve had.”

Credence smiles and looks away, biting his lip. “Me too,” he says. “Sometimes it feels like it was a different world.”

“It was,” Percy chuckles. “Compared to the rest of it and for us both personally.”

“That’s true,” Credence says and looks at Percy. “It’s easier to see each other again now.”

Percy nods. “Something I’d like to keep doing,” he says and offers his arm. “Dinner next?”

“Definitely,” Credence says and takes Percy’s arm.

They’re back at Woolworth a few seconds later and Credence knows he’s going to have a hard time focusing again, but that’s alright. Now that he knows Percy is interested in more, it settles some of his worries.

“I’m in meetings most of my Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Percy says as they walk toward the doors. “If no one misbehaves too badly, we can go on Wednesday.”

“Sounds good to me,” Credence says and laughs. “I’ll hope no one misbehaves. Six?”

“Perfect,” Percy says and they step back into Woolworth. Busy witches and wizards are bustling across the lobby but Percy stops and his hand on Credence’s lower back feels too good for as light of a touch as it is. “Where do you live?”

Credence tells him and Percy says he’ll meet him there. He squeezes Credence’s hip and Credence is nervous to touch him so openly but anyone could see that Percy is doing so if they looked closely enough.

But Percy takes his hand and the gentle grip feels like a promise for more later. They take the lift together and Credence smiles at Percy before getting off on the third floor and heading back to the lecture room.

It feels like he’s walking on clouds. He’s unbelievably eager to see Percy on Wednesday and it doesn’t help that the way Percy looks at him gets his blood boiling. Credence wants to kiss him, preferably the next moment he sees him, and it’d be nice to do more than that, but he thinks it might not be appropriate.

They aren’t teenagers anymore, after all.

Still, the memories of what they’ve already shared follow him into bed that night, and Credence finds it easy to surrender to them.

——

By the time Wednesday afternoon rolls around, Credence is in a bit of a state.

He’s nervous and excited and still thinks he might fuck things up. But it had gone so well at lunch and it was _easy._ That’s what stands out to him the most when he thinks of the time they shared together Upstate. It was easy in a way things had never been easy for Credence and he’s found that to some extent since, but not nearly as quickly.

Credence is also worried about Percy’s big promotion and what life will look like for him in just a few months. If they see each other for that long, will Percy put an end to it because he’s too busy? Or any of the other reasons he might put an end to it, which Credence’s brain helpfully supplies.

He’d had lunch with Queenie yesterday and hadn’t entirely built up this worry yet but she was nothing but thrilled for him. She’s optimistic that things will work out and that Credence won’t fuck it up and he’s trying to believe that.

More than half of his life he was told just how much he messed things up and that he was only a burden and it’s hard to break out of that mindset, even now. Credence is usually better about it but he also isn’t always in this sort of situation.

But he thinks that he’s underestimating Percy and the reason why it’s so easy for them.

It’s nearly five and their lecturer is wrapping up for the day when a memo scurries onto Credence’s desk. It makes him jump a little and even though there’s quite a bit of movement as everyone packs their things away, some people still look at him.

“Secret admirer?” Maisie teases.

“Just Queenie,” Credence mutters, his cheeks warm. “See you later.”

Maisie pats his shoulder and Irwin shakes his head and Credence waits until they’re gone and the people behind him are too before he opens it.

_I’ll see you in an hour. It’s strange how time seems to crawl when you’re looking forward to something. Seeing someone remarkable and dashingly handsome, in my case._

_Wear your warmest coat._

_Percy_

Credence’s entire face feels hot and he stares down at the note, grinning. He can’t stop the grin either as he reads it a couple more times before he tucks it in his pocket.

He may have the other one saved and this one will be joining it, but Percy doesn’t have to know that.

Credence leaves Woolworth and goes home to take a shower. He wears something decent but not too formal because Percy hadn’t said to. It’s supposed to snow again later this evening and he thinks Percy might take him to Central Park for a walk through it. He doesn’t get along well with the cold but he has a wand so it’s not too much to complain about.

After refreshing it, he pulls on his warmest coat and his scarf and looks at himself in the mirror. Dashingly handsome is the last thing he’d call himself but if that’s how Percy feels, he’ll take it.

Percy is an authority on handsome, Credence suspects, and smiles. He tells his plants to behave and at six, he locks up his apartment and walks downstairs. When he steps outside he sees Percy waiting for him under a lamppost and it’s a rather striking sight.

People are moving along the sidewalk, heading home or hailing taxis, going shopping nearby, but Percy stands a little apart from them in the soft light of the lamp and Credence thinks he’s going to remember how he looks right now for a long time.

They can’t be too close here, not on the street, but Percy’s smile is warm and Credence can’t help but grin.

“Hi,” he says, only a little breathlessly. “You look good.”

“So do you,” Percy says and gestures toward the alley in between the apartment building and deli next to it. “I hope you like Italian food.”

“My favorite, actually,” Credence says as they walk toward the back of the alley to Disapparate. “You’re right, you know.”

“About what?” Percy asks and offers his hand.

“Time does crawl when you’re looking forward to something,” Credence says and takes Percy’s hand. 

“Been a bit tortuous, hasn’t it?” Percy laughs and Credence laughs with him. He gazes at Credence then and Credence gazes back.

Thinks _yes, please._

Percy moves closer and his hands on Credence’s cheeks aren’t nearly as cold as Credence is sure his own are. He’s sure his nose is cold too but he meets Percy there all the same and it’s not hard to melt into the kiss.

They wrap their arms around each other and kissing Percy here is so similar to before and yet different. Credence knows Percy is never far away, that they can see each other often, and that Percy wants this.

He desperately hopes Percy keeps wanting this.

When they part, they rest their foreheads together and Credence keeps his eyes closed and thinks he’s never felt something so intimate. Maybe before, he thinks, with the very man who’s offering it again.

Percy gently kisses him. “Let’s get some dinner,” he says quietly. “Do more of this after.”

Credence laughs and nods as he looks at Percy. “Sounds good to me,” he says. “If I’m not frozen later.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll keep you warm,” Percy says with a smile. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Credence says and can’t quite resist one more kiss.

They Disapparate after that.

The restaurant is pretty, not overly fancy, but a place Credence has never been to before. Its lighting is low and romantic and baubles of golden light bob above the tables. It smells incredible, as most good Italian restaurants do.

Credence isn’t surprised when they’re sat at a table with a good vantage point and wonders if Percy asked for it ahead of time or if they’re familiar with him. The hostess does say _Mister Graves_ and Percy hadn’t even given his name, so Credence supposes they are.

He wonders how often Percy comes here or anywhere else in the city. All of the wizarding world in America knows him and some of the no-maj world too, as Percy tells Credence over focaccia bread dipped in oil and balsamic vinegar.

It’s such a bizarre thing to think about, so many people knowing who Percy is and Credence finds it vaguely intimidating. He doesn’t tell Percy that. He doesn’t want Percy to think he can’t handle it, and it feels too soon to express concerns like it. But talking about anything and everything comes as quickly as it always has and Credence marvels over it.

They know so much about each other for such little time spent together and neither Credence nor Percy has forgotten anything.

Percy makes Credence laugh, even more so now, and Credence doesn’t think he’s all that funny, but he makes Percy laugh too.

The way Percy looks at him when he’s talking about work or his plants or his friends, his journey to New Haven and back to Manhattan, makes Credence’s heart race. He stumbles over his words now and then because it flusters and flatters him both.

If Credence had never met him he’d think Percy probably didn’t have an ounce of warmth in him based on his pictures alone, but he’s the exact opposite.

Percy is sweet, kind, and isn’t shy about giving compliments like Credence is. He’s not shy about how he looks at Credence either and Credence doesn’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.

It happened fast when they first met but that was a long time ago. It has the potential to ruin things now and yet Credence feels entirely the same way. He doesn’t think he could resist Percy if he tried and Credence has no practice trying to resist him anyway.

Credence knows Percy isn’t reading his mind but when he thinks about the fact that Percy has already been inside of him, well, Percy looks a little too perceptive. Like he’s thinking the same thing and Credence is afraid this will crash and burn before he knows it.

“You haven’t been interested in dating?” Credence asks after Percy has mentioned his lack of a social life these days.

“Now and then,” Percy says and smiles wryly. “When I became a Captain, it went out the window for the most part. A lot more responsibility and paperwork and leading my peers, which doesn’t help to make me any more fond of them.”

Credence laughs. “Not all of your peers are Aurors.”

“They aren’t,” Percy agrees. “Even so. My sister tells me I could make time if I wanted and Director Wolfs says I’m going to be grey by forty, but I happen to be very good at what I do because I put my time into it.”

Credence shakes his head. “Tina says you’re a workaholic machine. Don’t tell her I said so,” he adds hastily. “But it sounds pretty accurate.”

Percy laughs. “No denying it, really,” he says with a smirk. “I thrive on it.”

“Hmm,” Credence hums and takes a drink of his wine. “When you said you have time for me, did you only mean lunch?”

“Hmm,” Percy hums in return. “Let’s see. I met this amazing, beautiful man who managed to sweep me off my feet in about five minutes after he approached me for the first time. I got to know him in a few different ways and spent an entire year waiting to see him again. Took me a little while to recover from the disappointment of not getting to,” he adds with a sly smile, “but I persevered. And, to my great surprise, I happen to see that very same man in the lobby of MACUSA ten years later. And it only took about five minutes for him to sweep me off my feet again. This time, however, I don’t think you plan on disappearing without at least saying goodbye. I hope you stick around so I can continue giving you as much of my time as possible because if I have the chance to make it something more this time, I’m damn well going to try.”

Credence presses his knuckles against his mouth as he stares at Percy, his cheeks hot, and he’s grinning, has been since Percy started talking, wide enough to hurt. Percy’s smiling at him too, fondly and with affection, and Credence wouldn’t be surprised if his heart simply gave out at this moment.

“Well,” he finally says after he’s managed to find his voice again, “I think I’m okay with all that.”

Percy laughs. “Then I’m fucking lucky, aren’t I?” he says. “I want to keep seeing you, Credence. And we’ll go at whatever pace you want to.”

Credence bites his lip, still grinning, and nods. “Thank you, Percy,” he says softly. “I don’t want to set a pace that’s too quick for you, though, either.”

When Percy offers his hand, Credence takes it. “It is tempting to take it slow,” he says, “and build it up first. But if you want to move more quickly than that, I’m on board because it’s the last thing that’s going to chase me off.”

“What would chase you off?” Credence asks with a smile.

“If you didn’t feel the same way I do,” Percy says and gazes at Credence warmly. “Something tells me I don’t have to worry about that.”

“You really don’t,” Credence says breathlessly. It’s such a relief to hear it and he might think they’re overly optimistic if Percy were anyone else in the world.

Credence wants to ask if Percy thinks this will change when he becomes the Director, but he thinks better of it. That’s months for them to build it up, even if it starts quickly, and Credence knows it’s his low self-esteem anyway. He’s eager to see how it goes, to share more than just sexual intimacy with Percy, and he’ll enjoy every moment of it.

Percy’s always going to be busy, but that’s alright. It’s just going to make seeing him even better.

They chat about other things over dinner and drinks and dessert. It’s a beautiful date, the best Credence has been on, and when they stand on the empty patio, the kiss they share is divine. It’s beginning to snow and Credence looks up at the sky before he smiles at Percy and gets his smile in return.

When they Disapparate, Credence expects to see his apartment or somewhere in Manhattan, at least, but he doesn’t.

He laughs as he looks around and thinks he should have expected it.

The lake is frozen and it’s not snowing here, but it looks like it will soon. Soft snow is covering the shores and into the forest surrounding them. It’s lovely. Picturesque, really, and Percy has managed to get them nearly in the exact spot they first met, sitting next to a large bonfire.

It was hot then and Credence may be wearing his warmest coat, but he’s shivering quickly.

“I never came out here in the winter,” Credence says and looks at Percy. “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”

“It really is,” Percy says with a smile. He holds up his finger before he pulls out his wand and points it skyward. He gives it a complicated little twist and Credence inhales sharply in surprise.

Warmth surrounds them now, not too hot, but enough to chase away the cold of winter. Credence knows the spell, knows how damn hard it is, though Percy made it look easy. It takes a bit of a stretch of his arm before he finds the barrier and feels the cold outside of it. Credence laughs and looks at Percy.

“Perfect,” he says. “Thank you.”

“Wouldn’t be bringing you home alive without it, I think,” Percy says and chuckles when Credence pinches his side. He waves his wand at the ground until the snow has vanished and before it can melt.

Conjuring a fluffy and warm blanket seems just as easy for him and Credence thinks he’ll ask Percy to help sharpen some of his own magic one day.

He is talented in the art of potion-making and a fair amount of transfiguration, but Percy has three years of training more than he got at Ilvermorny. And learning from the best of the best can’t be a bad thing, especially because Credence gets to kiss Percy whenever he wants.

They sit on the blanket and Credence loops his arms around Percy’s middle and rests his head on his shoulder as he looks out over the frozen lake.

“You ever done any ice skating?”

“Once,” Credence says with a smile. “Ma never let me, but I went with a friend to Central Park and did. I liked the hot cider they had more.”

Percy chuckles. “Well, I don’t really blame you for that, as much as you and the cold don’t seem to get along,” he says and rubs Credence’s back. “My sister took me every year when she was home for the Christmas holidays. To get out of the manor for a while.”

“Do you like it?”

“Not the first few times. When I stopped falling on my ass, I liked it better. My sister made it seem much easier than it is.”

“Please tell me you’re not going to ask me to ice skate.”

“I would very much enjoy seeing you try,” Percy says and smirks when Credence looks at him. “I’d also enjoy doing it with you.”

“Would you laugh at me if I fall on my ass?”

“I won’t let you fall on your ass,” Percy says. “Could be fun.”

Credence smiles and looks at the lake. “It could be,” he says. “But that means I have to leave this bubble.”

“Going to get you a few pairs of long johns,” Percy laughs. “It’ll still be here.”

Credence sighs and wrinkles his nose. “At least no one else is out here,” he says and looks at Percy with a smile. “Alright, fine. Don’t let me fall.” He pulls off his shoes and narrows his eyes at them as he tries to remember what ice skates look like exactly.

After he’s flicked his wand at them, they don’t look half bad. Just terrifying.

Percy does the same to his own shoes and promises Credence he’ll probably work up a sweat in a few minutes when his teeth chatter after they’ve left the warming charm.

Getting on the ice is probably the most challenging part of it - at least Credence hopes so because he struggles - and Percy is smiling, a little amused, and a lot fond. He’s conjured an orb of light that looks like the moon to help.

“Fuck,” Credence mutters as his legs try to go outward and he clings to Percy’s arms. “Oh, I am never doing this again.”

Percy laughs. “You’re doing fine,” he says and is quite a bit more steady on his own feet. “Stand straighter.”

“That doesn’t feel right.”

“Center of gravity,” Percy says, still laughing. “You’ll fall too far forward or too far back.”

“Merlin,” Credence mutters and straightens his spine. He’s able to loosen his hold on Percy then, though certainly not all the way, and he does feel less like he’s about to crack his knee open. “Okay, I think I remember this a bit.”

Percy is patient with Credence and he does laugh, mostly when Credence is cursing or telling him he’s never doing it again. But Percy is responsible for making this easy too, because it doesn’t take all that long before Credence has found how to move without wobbling or nearly falling.

It’s slow going but holding Percy’s hand and skating under thick cloud cover and their own little moon following them is… well, it’s exhilarating. It is fun and it’s romantic and Credence does warm up enough to keep enjoying it. When they stop and kiss, Credence thinks it might be his favorite one so far.

Credence never does fall and is glad for it because he’d probably take Percy down with him. They leave the ice when their legs start to get sore, wildly unpracticed in this, and Credence’s knees wobble when he takes the skates off, which makes Percy laugh more.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t going to laugh at me?” Credence asks as he tosses his shoes aside for later, lying down on the blanket in blessed warmth, out of breath.

“I said I wouldn’t laugh if you fell on your ass,” Percy says with a smirk and sits next to Credence. He leans over him to kiss him and Credence holds his coat as he does. Percy smiles when he looks down at Credence after. “Sorry for laughing.”

“It’s okay,” Credence sighs, “if I ever find something to teach you that you’re not already good at, I’ll make sure to laugh then.”

Percy chuckles. “I don’t think the things you’ll help teach me will be laugh-worthy,” he says with a smile. “Unless you can teach me the art of small talk.”

Credence laughs. “I’m probably worse at it than you are,” he says and laughs more when Percy does. He tugs him closer and kisses him briefly. “It sounds like you might be the type to enjoy being home.”

“Mhmm,” Percy hums. “When I have time for it. I go out to the bar once a week but I like quiet evenings otherwise.”

“How far away do you live from me?”

“Not far,” Percy says. “Just a few miles east from you. I’m moving soon, though.”

“Oh?” Credence asks with a smile. “Upgrading?”

“Been wanting to for a while,” Percy says. “Already got the place picked out and it’s mine in March. Still only going to be a couple miles east from you, though. Bit of a better view.”

“Central Park?”

Percy nods and strokes Credence’s side. “Prime real estate,” he says and smiles. “I’m certainly not going to wait that long to take you home, though.”

“I’m pretty eager to take you home too,” Credence says and moves his fingers through Percy’s hair now that they’re not so cold. “It’d be nice to spend the morning in bed with you.”

“Suppose we’ll just have to go out on Saturday again,” Percy says with a chuckle. “Or stay in all night too.”

Credence grins. “That sounds good to me,” he says and rests his hand over Percy’s cheek. He leans into the touch and Credence thinks he’s never seen such a good sight. Or felt the way he does now.

Similar to doing this very thing ten years ago, but they were teenagers, their heads in the clouds and not thinking about long-term relationships to fit around their busy careers.

It’s even better now. Credence pulls Percy down for another kiss and wraps his arms around him. Percy moves over him, a solid and warm weight, and they stay like that for a long while.

Percy brushes Credence’s hair from his forehead when he pulls back and Credence smiles. He kisses Percy’s chin before he looks up and smiles.

It’s lightly snowing now, and Credence doesn’t know if the flakes melt when they touch the spell’s barrier but none fall on them. It’s like looking through glass and Credence watches them with Percy. Their grey orb of light is still nearby but when the snow starts to come down heavier, it dims, and well… it’s magical.

“Thanks for bringing me here,” Credence says and rubs Percy’s back. “I don’t know which season I like best. Well,” he amends when Percy raises his eyebrows, “I guess I only like it now because you’re good at charms.”

Percy chuckles and kisses Credence’s cheek. “I’m not sure which one I like best either,” he says and slides his warm hand under Credence’s coat and shirt, holding onto his hip. “We’ll have to visit during each one.”

“Yes, please,” Credence says. “I wouldn’t mind keeping up with the tradition we started that summer.”

“You know,” Percy sighs, “I wouldn’t mind that either.” He smiles when Credence grins and kisses him after.

Kisses him passionately and deep, easy to get lost in, and Credence savors every moment of it. He hooks his legs around Percy’s thighs until they’re flush against each other.

They don’t have to look very hard for the same passion and intimacy they shared before but there’s less hurry now. Percy takes his time undressing Credence and it is cooler then, enough to bring goosebumps to Credence’s skin.

It doesn’t mean his blood isn’t burning from Percy’s hands gliding over his skin, from his mouth against it, his tongue, and the gentle but sweet praise he murmurs against Credence.

It’s nearly overwhelming how good it feels, how close and intimate it is, but Credence wouldn’t change it for the world.

He helps Percy get out of his clothes and neither of them are teenagers anymore, certainly, but the solidness of Percy, lean but muscular, makes Credence’s mouth go dry. He’s beautiful and Credence tells him so until Percy cups his cheeks and kisses him.

Credence is still cold but Percy promises he won’t be for long. He peppers Credence’s skin with more soft kisses and though they both prefer lubricant that doesn’t come from a wand, it’s done them just fine before.

He keeps one leg around Percy’s waist and holds his other under his knee and the way Percy looks at him, up and down, when he sits up makes Credence’s cheeks burn.

Percy has warmed the lube and when he slides his finger into Credence, Credence tips his head back and moans. “Fucking hell,” Percy says. “Merlin, Credence, you’re beautiful.”

Credence looks at him, his eyelids heavy and smiles. “What does that make you then?” he asks. He grasps the blanket in his hand when Percy’s finger rubs against his prostate and bites his lip.

“Luckiest bastard alive, I think,” Percy says and his voice is low with arousal, a little husky and unbearably sexy. “That’s it, sweetheart,” he says when his touch becomes less gentle and Credence moans his name.

It does get warmer. Each time Percy strokes Credence in just the right way and when he slides two fingers into him. He holds onto Credence’s thigh and whenever he runs his fingers along the inside of it, he leaves Credence a shivering and whining mess, sensitive and aching to be filled.

He’s sweating by the time Percy has three fingers deep in him. “Please, Percy, I need you inside of me,” he says. “Please.”

“Alright, love,” Percy says and sounds breathless himself. He pulls his fingers out and coats his cock with warm lube. His hand slides under Credence’s knee until he lifts his leg and Credence gets the idea and rests his ankle on Percy’s shoulder.

Percy slides into Credence smoothly, from the time he spent on him and from the position both, and they both moan.

It’s slow like this, a gentle glide in and out, and Credence holds the blanket tightly in his hands. He gasps each time Percy presses flush against him and Percy whispers his name nearly reverentially. He’s the beautiful one, Credence thinks, every inch of him, in the way his hair falls over his forehead and the muscles in his abdomen tighten as he breathes.

Percy is framed by the snow falling around them and Credence wants to close his eyes because it’s so good, it’s the best he’s ever felt, but he can’t look away from Percy.

He moves more firmly, a thrust of his hips that has Credence shouting his name. Percy holds onto Credence’s knee as he fucks him in earnest when Credence asks for more. The way he groans, the way Percy says Credence’s name while he’s moving inside of him, makes Credence dearly hope he can hear him like this as often as possible.

By the time Credence is shaking, desperate for an end, he reaches for Percy and Percy comes willingly. Credence wraps his legs tight around his waist and his arm around his shoulders and pulls him down to kiss.

Percy moans against Credence’s lips and continues his firm pace, deeper now. They pull apart, and Percy looks at Credence, his eyes dark and his lips rosy, and he’s trembling as much as Credence is.

“Come inside me,” Credence says and holds onto the back of Percy’s neck. He moans when Percy moves harder. “Yes, Percy, please, _please_ come inside of me.”

“Fuck, Credence,” Percy says and sounds every bit as ruined as Credence feels. He rolls his hips forward, faster, until his breath hitches. Percy groans as he presses deep into Credence and comes.

Credence whines as he watches Percy, as he feels him pulsing inside, and digs his fingertips into Percy’s back. Percy finishes with a softer moan and though his arms are shaking when he lifts himself enough to take Credence in his hand, it’s steady.

Hot and slick from their sweat.

Credence holds tightly onto Percy and gasps his name as Percy strokes him just right, rolling his hips while he’s still hard, and comes. He holds tightly onto Percy and moans through it, his back arched and his head tipped back.

It’s powerful and beyond satisfying but still immensely intimate. There’s something tender in how Percy presses his face into the curve of Credence’s neck when he finishes.

They breathe together, Percy’s hot and heavy against Credence’s neck, and Credence stares up at the snow falling above them as he tries to catch his breath.

He squeezes his eyes shut and rubs Percy’s back, and whimpers when Percy shifts inside of him. “Percy,” Credence says. “Merlin, Percy.”

Percy kisses Credence’s neck and down to his shoulder before he looks at Credence. That softness is back in his eyes, the affection, and Credence finds it even more overwhelming, but not in a bad way.

It’s been so long since someone looked at him like that, since someone made him feel this damn good, and Credence bites his lip because he doesn’t want to embarrass himself by crying.

He’s emotional and he doesn’t really know why. They’re going to be doing plenty of this, Credence suspects, and up here at the lake too.

“Picking up where we left off, love,” Percy says and kisses Credence’s chin.

“Are you reading my mind?” Credence asks with a smile and only sniffs a bit.

Percy chuckles. “Maybe,” he says and smiles when Credence tugs at his hair. “I don’t have to, to know we’re thinking the same thing.”

“It scares me a little, you know,” Credence says softly. “How easy it is.”

“Neither of us has experienced a whole lot of _easy_ when it comes to other people,” Percy says. “I’d like to embrace it and help you do the same.”

Credence smiles and slides his hand along the smooth skin of Percy’s back. “Me too,” he says. “Please.”

Percy kisses Credence, gentle and steady before he pulls away. “We’ll come back up this weekend. I think it’s going to snow again and I’d love to see it from your point of view.”

Credence laughs and grins. “Sounds perfect to me,” he says. “We should probably get back to Manhattan soon.”

“Probably,” Percy says and sits up. “But I say we act irresponsibly for a while and enjoy it up here.”

“When was the last time you acted irresponsibly?”

“Hit one of my seniors with a Stinging Hex just the other day when he told me my aim was off,” Percy says. “Had to take him to the infirmary when his eyes swelled shut. Don’t worry,” he adds when Credence gapes at him, “he’s my pick for my current position in a few months.”

“I’m sure that’ll make up for it,” Credence laughs. He wrinkles his nose and hisses a little when Percy eases out of him, but Percy makes quick work of the mess. _“Was_ your aim off?”

Percy lies down next to Credence, taking his hand and looking up at the snow that’s falling above them. “I can’t say,” he says. “It was the day I caught sight of someone I hadn’t seen in a long time in the lobby, so you never know.”

Credence chuckles and rolls onto his side, slinging an arm across Percy’s ribs. “I had cheesecake that night and I forgot to enjoy it because I was thinking of someone I hadn’t seen in a long time in the lobby.”

“Now that’s just a travesty,” Percy says and smirks. “We’ll get some of that on Saturday too.”

Credence smiles and pecks Percy’s lips. “You know, it sounds like we just might have a good time together whenever we see each other.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Percy asks and wraps his arm around Credence, rubbing his back. “I’m looking forward to enjoying the seasons up here with you.”

“Not during Auror training, though.”

“Just the morale my incoming juniors need,” Percy laughs. “Seeing their Director’s bare ass on the other side of the lake.”

Credence laughs with him for a good long while and thinks it’s only going to get better from here.

——

And, as good as everything is with Percy, it does.

They see each other for lunch a couple times a week and usually every Saturday night. Percy switches to visiting the bar on Friday with his friend Mister Fontaine, who Credence eventually meets and likes once he gets over being intimidated by him.

Percy meets Credence’s friends and they’re intimidated by him too, but after a few months, it gets better. Queenie was never frightened of him to begin with but Tina digs her heels in when they try to get her to go out with them. She eventually gives in and though they both act like it’s the worst thing in the world to have to share their personal lives together, Credence knows full well Percy is fond of Tina.

He’s not sure Tina is fond of Percy but that’s okay. She’ll come around.

They visit the lake in the spring and stay overnight, as good of a time as it always is. Percy can’t do it very often, especially after Director Wolfs retires and he becomes Director Graves, the Head Auror of all Aurors in the country, and his workload increases rather dramatically.

But he always makes time for Credence.

When they go to the lake a few weeks into summer, Percy asks Credence if he wants to move in with him. They’ve spent plenty of time at each other’s apartments and Percy’s new one is gorgeous. Credence has pictured himself living in it more than he’ll ever admit, and he’s infinitely happy that Percy has offered.

He doesn’t mind all of Credence’s plants or his various sketch pads lying around, despite being a neat and meticulously tidy person.

It’s wonderful. Perfect. Everything Credence has ever wanted and it’s with Percy, the first man he was ever intimate with, the man he thought about often throughout the years.

Percy welcomed him into his life with open arms, no doubts about Credence from the beginning, and he loves Credence just as much as Credence loves Percy.

He manages to convince Percy to go to the lake one more time in late summer so they might be able to swim in the water. They go early in the day for breakfast in the small town Credence used to live in and plan to stay on the lake for the rest of the day.

The tiny restaurant they eat at has fantastic breakfasts and the people there are thrilled to see Credence. They’re a little shocked by _his man_ as his usual waitress calls Percy, but they get over it quickly.

Only one person is missing.

“Where’s Barb?” Credence asks Hildie when she brings them their plates.

“Oh, she ran off to the city,” Hildie says with a sigh. “With Tommy, if you can believe that.”

“Really?” Credence asks with surprise. “They hated each other!”

“I suppose when you antagonize each other often enough, sometimes there’s only one way to fix it,” Hildie says and winks when Credence coughs a little and Percy laughs. “You two don’t seem the types. But of course Credence wouldn’t be.”

“Oh, he antagonizes me plenty,” Percy says with a smile. “Maybe not in such a terrible way.”

Credence smiles. “You’re pretty good at it yourself,” he says. “I’m okay with it.”

Hildie chuckles. “Are you ever going to become President, Director Graves? You have to have a political mind, I imagine, to do what you’re doing.”

“Absolutely,” Percy says. “But it’s law enforcement for me. I only go the one way, fortunately.”

Credence scowls at Percy when he smirks, his cheeks warm. “He’d definitely be a horrible President,” he says. “Since he thinks he’s the only one in the world who can run an Auror department without any problems.”

“I don’t think it. I know it,” Percy says with a smile.

Credence shakes his head and looks at Hildie smiling in amusement between them and about to head off. “Did Barb sell her cabin?”

“Still on the market,” Hildie says. “Such a pretty place, isn’t it? A little more than most people can afford here. We’re probably going to get some busybody from the city who’ll call it a summer home.”

“That’d be awful,” Credence agrees and smiles when Hildie winks and walks back to the kitchen. He turns to his breakfast, breaking the yolk on one of his eggs so he can pile it on his toast. He looks at Percy, who is holding his coffee cup and squinting at the windows. “What?”

Percy looks at him. “Thinking,” he says. “I happen to be a busybody from the city.”

Credence raises his eyebrows and laughs. “You have to actually _use_ a summer home, you know.”

“I do know,” Percy says. “And I think you enjoying it with me might offset small-town people hating me. Is it secluded?”

“About a mile from here and nothing else is close by,” Credence says with a smile. “That might be a mistake, Director Graves.”

“Oh? In what way?”

“I’m going to want to use it often and I won’t be going alone.”

Percy sighs and takes a bite of bacon. “You know, that might just keep me sane. Cabin in the woods so close to our lake, no one too close to us.”

Credence grins. “Do you want to take a look at it?”

“I do,” Percy chuckles. “As soon as we’re done here.”

They don’t rush through breakfast, enjoying good food and excellent coffee, along with a lot of conversations between each other and between the people that know Credence. Percy is entirely at ease here in a way he isn’t always in the city when they’re out.

He’s told Credence he used to love the forest when he was young before bitterness ruined it for him. Credence thinks that being a couple of hours away from where he grew up and experiencing better things helps him be more fond of the pine trees surrounding them.

After breakfast and more coffee, they leave and walk to the cabin. It’s pleasantly warm and smells divine, and the crunch of pine needles and leaves is always a comfort to Credence.

When they get to the cabin, it’s just as beautiful as Credence remembers. It’s the right size for two people and for a vacation home. There are large windows for a good view of the forest and a covered patio, where they might enjoy coffee in the morning.

There’s a wood-burning stove inside, Credence knows, and he thinks of curling up in front of it with Percy with a smile.

Percy wraps his arm around Credence’s waist and looks up at the cabin, a small smile on his own lips. “This looks like a pretty damn good place.”

“Definitely,” Credence says and leans against Percy. “For every season of the year. No smog at all.”

“No smog,” Percy says thoughtfully. “Alright, I’m sold.”

Credence laughs and looks at him. “Should we head back into town?”

“We have to get it before anyone else does,” Percy says and smiles at Credence. “Never would have expected this place to give me two extra homes.”

Credence smiles and looks at the cabin, his cheeks warm. “Me neither,” he says and bites his lip. “But I’m glad it did.”

When Percy kisses Credence, Credence melts into it like he always does, and they stay wrapped around each other for some time. Under the pine trees while bluebirds sing and a breeze tousles their hair.

Their own little slice of paradise where they both found home.

**Author's Note:**

> Lord it's just romantic and sappy fluff. Really needed it tho. I hope you liked it and I'd love to hear from you. Kudos and comments mean a lot and help to keep my motivation going. Thanks for reading!
> 
> A big thank you to Cupcake for helping me figure out the ending! And, as always, thank you to Erin and Momma. <3
> 
> [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/vtforpedro)


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